I recently made one, and loved everything about it! The style, the look, the fact that it virtually goes with everything. And it’s pretty easy to make (some experience is definitely a plus though!)
I’ll take you through the process …step by step
First I’ll tell you what all you need –
12 round beads (10mm)
12 bead cones
12 headpins
a pendant
14 jumprings
1 Toggle clasp
3 – 30″ faux suede cords (colorful ribbon also looks great-in that case I would recommend 6 strands)
2 – 14″ lengths of wire

ToolsRound-nose pliers
Needle-nose pliers
Scissors
Measuring tape

Ready? Here we go….1. Start by threading a beadcap and a bead onto a headpin. Make a double-wrap loop using the round-nose pliers, then attach a jumpring. Repeat for all 12 beads.

2. Take a 14″ length of wire and fold it in half. Take all 3 (6) strands and place it in the loop. Adjust the strands so they extend appr. 1/2″ below the wire. Twist once. Use one end of the wire to wrap tightly around all strands. Like so….

Now form a double-wrap loop with the other end, and either clip it off or use it to cover any spaces you might have in the coil.

3. Use all strands to make an overhand knot about 5″ from the coil.

4. Use 1 strand to string 2 beads (3 strands if you use the ribbon)
Form an overhand knot using all strands about 1″ from the previous knot.
Repeat twice.

Need more help? Please holler! I’m happy to answer any questions you may have.

Like to recreate this exact necklace, but don’t wanna run around, searching for the pieces? I do have kits available in my store in Weston, MO and on the website https://www.zibbet.com/kristabella
(Little perk 😊 with the first 2 orders I’ll include a pair of round-nose pliers 😬 )

I hope you have fun making this beautiful piece! Don’t forget to send me some pictures!

See you soon – then I’ll have a soup recipe for you (and what to do with the leftovers 😉)

Do you?
In case you’re scratching your head, going ‘Do I what?’ let me tell you a little bit about it.
First of all, ‘Kumihimo’ is not even a verb…I use it as such ’cause, while it’s a braiding technique, ‘Do you braid’ is not a very enticing title ~right? You probably would have skipped right over it, and missed out on a nifty new craft! 😉
Kumihimo braids look fancy complicated, but they’re not, trust me! I think it’s easier to do, than remembering the name! 😆
All you need is this doohickey, namely a disc -round or square- with slots. Here’s the round one….
Alrighty… Let’s get started…
1. Pick the material you’d like to use. That can be yarn, floss, ribbon, twine, suede cord – it all depends on what you want to use your braid for, what look you wanna achieve.
2. Measure your material (your chosen fiber needs to be 3x as long as the finished braid)
3. Now cut 8 strands
4. Use all 8 strands to form an overhand knot about 1″ from the end.
5. Push it through the hole in the middle of the disc.
6. To keep your work taut, attach a weight to this end. I filled a small organza bag with coins and tied it to the knot. Like so…

7. Now wrap each strand around the plastic bobbins you got with your disc. Fold the cover over, and the threads are secure, yet easily manageable.
-You can work without the bobbins, but the threads will get tangled, which makes the whole experience very frustrating. Because with tangled threads come ~magically~ knots, lots of unwanted knots… ugh
8. Now thread your strands into the slots… 1 each to the left and right of the black dot.
🌟 …and here are all of the above steps in one photo…

We’re almost done…. honest…and this was the most complicated stuff. From here on out it’s smooth sailing! 😁
9. You can actually start braiding now! Take the thread from the left of the top dot straight down, and secure it next to the thread on the left of the dot on the bottom. Now take the thread from the bottom right straight up.
Turn the disc clockwise, and repeat.
It does take some concentration in the beginning, but after a while you can let your mind wander and dream about beaches, sand, and waves! 😍
10. Round and round you go, and pretty quickly you can see the result of your labor.

Pretty, isn’t it?
When you reach your desired length, use all 8 strands to form an overhand knot, and you’re done.

One more thing…somewhat related. Last Sunday I held the very first ‘Creative Chicks Meeting’ at my store. My friend Dee had a lot of fun learning about Kumihimo, and tried her hands at it..
She plans on pairing a long braided cord with a pretty key pendant for a lanyard style necklace… (psst! Christmas gift! Don’t tell anyone) 😉

Okay, hold on… one more thing. A little ‘secret’ tip… When you have to put your work down, make sure you stop in the middle of Step 9 – meaning, take the left thread down, and step away from the disc….hehehe, sounds dangerous, doesn’t it 😂 It’s not, of course, but it’s potentially scary, if you don’t follow this tip, and forget where you left off. 😱
Now you know to take the thread on the right up, turn and keep going!

I’ve never written tutorials… so I hope this wasn’t too confusing. If you have any questions, need me to clear up a step, please ask. Don’t hesitate! I’m here for you! 😍

That’s it for now! Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it ~ let me know! 😘
Until next time
Love Tina xoxo

The most common question is ~ ‘What is ‘Art Deco’? Well, the most straightforward answer would be ‘decorative Art’. But let me elaborate….

The term ‘Art Deco’ stems from the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs Industriels et Modernes, held in Paris. The show was organized by an association of French artists known as, La Societe des Artistes Decorateurs (society of decorator artists). Most of it’s founders were previously involved in ‘Art Nouveau’, a style that, with it’s fluid motifs, contrasts sharply with ‘Art Deco’.

The structure of ‘Art Deco’ is founded on geometric shapes which drew equally on the faceted architectural forms of Babylon, Assyria, Ancient Egypt, and Aztec Mexico. To be specific, Art Deco designs are characterized by trapezoidal, zigzagged, and triangular shapes, chevron patterns, and sweeping curves.

Art Deco styling was enthusiastically adopted by artists all over the world – in architecture*, interior design, poster art, furniture, jewelry, textiles, fashion and industrial design. It is also very evident in the visual arts, such as paintings, and graphics.

Initially a luxury style, using costly materials like silver, crystal, ivory, jade and lacquer, after the Depression it also used cheaper and mass-produced materials like chrome, plastics, lacquer, inlaid wood, aluminum, and stainless steel. ‘Art Deco’ also introduced exotic items like shark-skin, and zebra-skin.

Bold, bright colors and metallics rose fast in popularity. During the roaring 20s lively energetic colors began to symbolize the prosperity of the time. Hues like canary yellow, peacock blue, emerald green, brilliant red, and royal purple were all the rage. Since metallic finishes instantly add Glitz and Glamor, and imply wealth. Silver, Gold, and metallic blues were used in abundance, and represented the prosperity of the time.

I recently found acrylic, C-shaped beads, in metallic hues, and instantly had a necklace design in mind, that needed to be made. Here it is….

I combined the beads with gold chain, gold links (oval and rectangular), and ‘Charlotte’ beads. Due to the nature of the acrylic beads, this necklace is delightfully lightweight, while it still makes a statement, will get you noticed!

As you saw in the ‘opening picture’, I did make 3 more necklaces using these beads. This time I stuck to 2 colors, making the pieces more modest. Here is a better look…

I hope you enjoyed this post! ’til next time! I hope I get to welcome you back! ~Tina @ Kristabella Weston

Here’s a little tidbit for my neighbors.. *In Missouri, the best example of the Great Depression and its effect on Art Deco construction is the Kansas City Power and Light Building (completed 1931). Other examples in Kansas City include the Municipal Auditorium, the Jackson County Courthouse, and City Hall.